Catholic post-primary education in Derry

 NICCE Project Board Areas Reports Feb 2012  Monsignor Martin asked by primary and secondary principals to produce “fresh ideas” to promote aims of Derry City Project Area  “Together Towards Tomorrow” Paper launched in the weeks following Project Report

1. Le Cheile partnership 2. Ending of Academic Selection 3. Sixth Form College(s) 4. Co-education and new admissions criteria

 1. Le Cheile partnership  Partnership of city’s post-primary schools driven by common vision for Catholic Education  Meetings of post-primary principals, reporting back to Boards of Governors  Close links with Catholic primary schools  No additional tier of management

 1. Le Cheile partnership  Aims to provide high-quality education for all, irrespective of their own faith, and tackle disadvantage and underachievement  Joint approaches to pastoral issues, staff welfare, community building, links with employers and FLC

 Three stages  : Building relationships, shared good practice on pastoral issues, community links, joint mission and retreat work, curriculum analysis, careers provision  : Joint student forum, prospectus, policies, celebrations of success, events and business case for funding  : Joint staff appointments, shared emblem for uniforms, shared curriculum policy, shared governance

 2. Ending of academic selection as admissions criterion  Structured transition with the three grammar schools signposting their intention to move to a bi-lateral system selecting 66% of pupils for two years, then 45% for three years and a review at the end of five years.

3. Creation of Sixth Form Colleges(s)  A co-educational college of 1800 operating on one or two sites  All students ‘electing’ to attend  5, pupils in remaining schools

4. Co-education and admissions criteria  All schools to be co-educational  Support for DENI admissions criteria  Parish-based and family admissions criteria preferred  Minimised competition among schools for admissions by “zoning”

 Post-primary Partnerships  Strength: Shared resources, broader curriculum, greater collaboration  Concern: Duplication of FLC work, perception that Shared Future is less important

 Academic Selection  Strength: Argument that it will tackle social disadvantage and provide better education in comprehensive system  Concern: No evidence for above, parental choice negated, reduction of grammar places for Catholic children

 Sixth Form College  Strength: Caters for all-ability, provides broader curricular choice, opportunity for Catholic spiritual development  Concern: Single anonymous institution

 Co-education and Admissions Criteria  Strength: Mixed education better preparation for third-level and for life, new criteria develops parish and favours family, proximity to school  Concern: Counter to parental choice, more socially divisive

 Invites comment and feedback by 31 st May 2012